Strange car problem....interesting yet strange

[SaturnManiac]

My car is having a weird problem, and while I'd kinda like some input, the main reason I'm posting is just so that I can tell people about this strange issue.

My car is occasionally idling high, but no big deal, that's happened in these cars and other cars before, but keep on reading.

So, I might be idling high when stopped in drive say a little over 1000 RPMs. I put the car into park and it will jump up more, to various ranges, sometimes it goes up for a little then stops....the most I've seen is a little over 2000 RPMs (in park).

The strange part is, I decided to try a few things just for the heck of it to see if I could make the idle come back down, well I tried pumping the brakes, the RPM's would go up....I was like WTF. So, I decided for the heck of it since the car was almost to the point where the engine fan would cut on, to just let it and see what happens, my idle also changed a little with that, which is typical, but it seemed more than normal to me. But the thing with the brakes freaked me out, LOL.

So, I told my friend who was in the car with me to tell me if the idle changes, so I popped the hood and went under there and jiggled the TPS wires, and he told me the idle changed. I figured it had to be the TPS because I already cleaned the TB beforehand because I was having the high idle problem occasionally, and when I cleaned it, it was pretty clean, so I was like, well, it's probably what I think it is, the TPS, but I just wanted to try the cheap fix first, LOL.

Has anyone ever seen that happen where pumping the brakes would make the idle go up?! (I did this when in park obviously).

My car is alive (That was pretty much the thought running thru my head the whole time, LOL)

[panic100973]

Any car that has vacuum assisted brakes will have the idle go up when the brakes are pumped due to the brakes using some of the engines vacuum. It is the equivalent of opening the throttle a little bit, by allowing more air into the engine.

As far as the intermittent high idle, I am assuming you have already ruled out the ECTS.

[turt]

Simple.... Check ECT for cracks, if ECT is good Check for a vacuum leak at intake runner #1 (if single overhead cam only). To do this spray BRAKE cleaner at the #1 cyl intake runner right at the head. If RPM drops then its leaking and the gasket should be replaced. Other than that Its probobly the Idle speed motor.

[97saturnsl1]

I had this problem on (now mine) 02 SL2...turned out to be a bad TPS sensor...it wasn't letting go completley when you lift off the throttle, replaced it with a cheapy replacement from Kragen, and all is good.

As for the brake thingy, that happens on the 02, my old 97, as well as any other car I've had that had power brakes that were vaccum assisted.

Just for giggles, press the brake pedal down as far as it will go (engine running of course), then let up quickly...the 02's idle would go from about 800 in park to 1300 real quick, then drop down again. Fun times freaking people out when they were in the car...

[SaturnManiac]

I know the idle will change a little when you "pump" power brakes, that wasn't the case. When the car is having the TPS sensor problem (I know it's a TPS sensor because jiggling the TPS wiring made the idle calm down a bit.), if I pumped the brakes or when the fan cut on, the idle moved more than usual. Pumping the brakes shouldn't cause the idle to change 500 RPM's, LOL. I've compared it to what it "normally" does. Come on now, y'all know how well I know my car, LOL.

I just thought it was strange for this to happen, and actually I wasn't really pumping the brakes, I only hit the pedal like 3 times when it happened.

But, anyways, I just thought I'd let people know what happened cause it was a bit interesting and strange. I'm personally going to assume that it has to do with electricity, because the TPS is messing up and when other "electrical" things came on, it messed it up more.

[harsha]

Sounds like a Vaccum leak to me... Check all the vaccum hoses...don't forget the booster hose too!!

[1994Saturn]

Originally Posted by SaturnManiac

I know the idle will change a little when you "pump" power brakes, that wasn't the case. When the car is having the TPS sensor problem (I know it's a TPS sensor because jiggling the TPS wiring made the idle calm down a bit.), if I pumped the brakes or when the fan cut on, the idle moved more than usual. Pumping the brakes shouldn't cause the idle to change 500 RPM's, LOL. I've compared it to what it "normally" does. Come on now, y'all know how well I know my car, LOL.

I just thought it was strange for this to happen, and actually I wasn't really pumping the brakes, I only hit the pedal like 3 times when it happened.

But, anyways, I just thought I'd let people know what happened cause it was a bit interesting and strange. I'm personally going to assume that it has to do with electricity, because the TPS is messing up and when other "electrical" things came on, it messed it up more.

Well the poor car is Traumatized from all the rental abuse... :-) Its having flash backs... :-)

[SaturnManiac]

Originally Posted by 1994Saturn

Well the poor car is Traumatized from all the rental abuse... :-) Its having flash backs... :-)

Not only the rental abuse, but all of the dipsh** previous owners. I'm the only owner that has cared so far.

[1994Saturn]

Originally Posted by SaturnManiac

Not only the rental abuse, but all of the dipsh** previous owners. I'm the only owner that has cared so far.

Its on the road to recovery!!

[jerry dye]

i just think "SAS" is getting to you and you just want an excuse to buy another one!! STEP 1 "WE ADMITTED WE WERE POWERLESS OVER PLASTIC"

[geartooth94]

ECTS!!! ECTS!!! LAWLZORZZZZZZ!111!!!

[SaturnManiac]

Originally Posted by jerry dye

i just think "SAS" is getting to you and you just want an excuse to buy another one!! STEP 1 "WE ADMITTED WE WERE POWERLESS OVER PLASTIC"

No....I do have SAS and I want another one, but I want to help this one too, LOL. You forgot, it's my man,

Originally Posted by geartooth94

ECTS!!! ECTS!!! LAWLZORZZZZZZ!111!!!

Oh gawd, LOL. Nah, I already changed the ECTS, and when I did it was already brass, LOL. No wait, it's the upper motor mount, LMAO....I already changed that too.

[quiksc2]

My car does the same thing. Idle jumps up and down at stop lights and such. It's not throwing a code, I just figured it had something to do with my exhaust being chopped off, because that's when I noticed it happening. My car already has a brass ECTS.

[Bigdaddy94sc2]

Originally Posted by SaturnManiac

Not only the rental abuse, but all of the dipsh** previous owners. I'm the only owner that has cared so far.

Just out of curiousity, since you love these so much, why dont you fix the problems that you "know" are wrong?

Like your TPS or Intake gasket?

For someone who loves them so much, you sure neglect them.....

[andy_95sl2]

I am really surprised how many people responded either ECTS or vacuum leak. If you read her post, she said that when she wiggled the TPS wires, the idle changed. That means that the signal from the TPS is being fluctuated to the computer, thus either her WIRING or her SENSOR is bad, NOT the ECTS or vacuum leak.